Celtic come through Dingwall clash but it's all about PSG and silverware now

Brendan Rodgers described Saturday afternoon in Dingwall as the coldest day of his time in Scotland, but as he looks ahead to Wednesday night’s Champions League game in PSG he’d be forgiven for swapping his parka for a flak jacket.

From the chilly reality of a winter’s afternoon in the Highlands to the glamour of a Parisian date in the Parc de Princess, there is quite a jump to be made as Celtic move from domestic dominance to the considerable weight of the Champions League.

The Parisians and their quality present arguably the toughest assignment that Celtic could get in the competition.

That first meeting was a sobering reality check for Celtic as they headed back into the group stages and their task is arguably taken up another notch as they head into foreign lands.

No-one needs reminding that seeing off Ross County to mark a 64th domestic game without defeat is one thing; organising themselves for the vast quality of Paris Saint-Germain another.

Nullifying a £400m strike force, whether there are factions and tensions within it or not, is an arduous challenge for Celtic.

Simply coming out of the game with some semblance of pride in tact - no easy feat considering the calibre of opposition - would present a bonus.

The real barometer for Celtic will come next month when they face Anderlecht in the final game of the group. That is the game that will open the door to further exposure to European football and with it bring not just further finances but also the kind of experience that will benefit Rodgers' side.

On Saturday afternoon in Dingwall Leigh Griffiths marked the weekend occasion with his 100th top flight league goal, a sumptuous free-kick that sunk a dogged and resilient Ross County side.

But even the goal and even the landmark couldn’t quite take away from the fact that Saturday seemed to be about little more than a marker for what else is to come.

As Celtic retain their grip on the domestic landscape, it is all about a six-week period that can effectively set the tone for the Parkhead side’s season.

European football will dominate the thoughts in the opening part of this week but his weekend also presents the chance to defend the first trophy that the Rodgers’ regime yielded.

The League Cup meeting with Motherwell on Sunday at Hampden will come on the back of Wednesday’s game in Paris against a PSG side who blew Celtic away on their own ground in the opening game of Group B.

What will be interesting this week is just how Rodgers utilises his squad.

In all likelihood Griffiths will find himself on the bench in Paris this week as Moussa Dembele is afforded the chance of the limelight.

The French striker heard the sharp end of Rodgers’ tongue at times on Saturday afternoon in a game where little seemed to come off for him but the expectation is that it will be his past performances in this competition that keep him an ever-present in Celtic’s starting line-up in the Champions League arena.

Dembele started against Bayern Munich last month in the competition in just one of his first games back from injury but in the intervening weeks has managed to bag a hat-trick for his country at under-21 level and was in amongst the goals for Celtic.

Saturday wasn’t his most impressive afternoon in the Hoops but if, as expected, Dembele is given the jersey for the game against PSG, it may well mean that he swaps roles with Griffiths for the League Cup final on Sunday at Hampden.

There are other decisions to be made too.

Jozo Simunovic was on the bench on Saturday afternoon after missing the previous eight games through injury.

It would seem unlikely that Rodgers will recall the defender back into the fold for a game of Wednesday’s magnitude without having had any minutes on the park.

There was further evidence of that too with the Celtic manager’s post-match remarks regarding the performance of Nir Bitton.

The Israeli internationalist has not been without his critics in his adopted position at the heart of the Hoops midfield

For most of a Celtic persuasion, Celtic’s win in Dingwall will be of little more than statistical note.

For Kieran Tierney, though, there was another milestone to celebrate as he enjoyed his 100th senior appearance for the club.

“He never has a bad game,” said Rodgers. “He’s at least seven or eight-out-of-10 every time he plays. He then goes into nine and 10-out-of-10 sometimes. He’s so full of enthusiasm and he’s a wonderful young talent. He always concentrates and he’s developing very well so I couldn’t be happier for him.”

How he shows up against Europe's most testing forward line on Wednesday evening will be another learning curve for the 20-year-old.

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